Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 3, 1995 TAG: 9507030109
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When Calvin Rohrbaugh began his career with Roanoke County schools, he learned that a teacher sometimes has to be more than just a teacher.
Consider his second year in the county during 1960-61, when he taught sixth and seventh grades at Bent Mountain Elementary School.
Rohrbaugh also was asked to serve as principal for the mountain-top school, which had about 110 pupils.
As if that wasn't enough to keep him busy, he was cafeteria manager - and delivery man, too.
"I'd pick up the groceries in Roanoke during the week and take them to the top of the mountain," he recalled.
The school had no secretary, either. The phone was in Rohrbaugh's classroom.
"I would be in the middle of the class and the phone would ring," he said. "We were on a party line. Sometimes you had to wait to use the phone."
The salary was modest for so many duties.
As Rohrbaugh recalls, he made $3,750 - about average for teachers in those days.
He survived that year and stayed on for nearly four decades with county schools - as a teacher, principal, instructional coordinator and remedial education supervisor.
Rohrbaugh, 60, is retiring after 36 years in education, a field that was not his first career choice but one that he came to love because it gave him the opportunity to work with children.
Rohrbaugh grew up in Salem, attended Roanoke College and got a degree in business administration. He had planned to enter business. But when he got out of the Army, one of his college professors suggested he would make a good teacher.
Rohrbaugh followed the advice and took several education courses to become a certified teacher.
A quiet and unassuming educator, Rohrbaugh has taught at several elementary schools during his career, including six years at East Salem Elementary when it was part of the county system. He was principal of Mason's Cove Elementary School for seven years.
During his years with the county, Rohrbaugh has seen dramatic changes in the school system. He worked for four superintendents - Herman Horn, Arnold Burton, Bayes Wilson and Deanna Gordon.
In 1960, the county had about 12,800 students, about 1,000 fewer than today. It had 536 teachers, about half as many as today, with only three central staff supervisors, compared to more than a dozen now. Classes often had 35 to 40 students when Rohrbaugh began teaching.
In 1974, Rohrbaugh became coordinator of math and science instruction for the elementary schools. In 1991, he was named supervisor of early intervention and remedial education for kindergarten through 12th grade.
He became an advocate for what he describes as children in the middle - those who do not qualify for special education or talented programs - who are struggling to succeed academically.
"We have to believe these kids can be successful," Rohrbaugh said.
"If you get children to believe in themselves, most of them will do well. The key is to get them to have confidence in themselves."
Rohrbaugh said that many children have problems because they don't get as much attention at home as kids did in the past.
"Society has changed. Both parents have to work in many homes and they don't have time to give children the one-on-one care," he said.
Schools are being asked to offer many services that the home, churches and other institutions used to provide, he said.
"Most parents want to do what is best for youngsters, but they may not always know what is best or how to do what is best," he said.
Educators who have worked with Rohrbaugh point to his dedication and sincerity in working with children.
Joseph Kyle, director of testing and federal programs for county schools, said Rohrbaugh was always willing to put in extra time to get his job done.
"Calvin has been a very good friend to me," said Kyle, who has worked for the county for 38 years. His relationship with Rohrbaugh goes back to Mason's Cove when they worked with children at a migrant worker's camp.
James Gallion, assistant superintendent, said Rohrbaugh organized and developed the remedial program to help youngsters who are experiencing academic problems.
"He has put in a lot of time and effort to get it started. He has been very diligent," Gallion said.
The program includes a summer session this year for nearly 600 children in elementary grades. The pupils are not tested or given grades on the summer work.
"We are trying to build up the confidence of these youngsters," Rohrbaugh said. "Most students will respond if they feel they can do it."
The county also has developed volunteer programs that are offered before and after the regular school day to help children with their studies. It has Saturday school at some high schools, when some teachers work with students who are having academic problems.
The county also offers a program to tutor children who have failed the state Literacy Passport Test, which is required for a high school diploma.
Rohrbaugh said he enjoys the remedial work because it offers the opportunity to make a difference in youngsters' lives.
"You are not in education for the money," he said. "The real reward and satisfaction is to see what you can do with children."
He said he hoped his career had helped give some students a better start in life.
"The question is whether you made a difference for these youngsters," he said. "I hope I did."
Rohrbaugh believes that a one-on-one relationship between a teacher and student offers the best chance for success. He tries to clear his schedule so he can work directly with some children.
"This is something that more parents used to do - spend time individually with children," he said. "This will help turn children around."
There are other educators in Rohrbaugh's family. His wife, Nancy, is a sixth-grade teacher at Hidden Valley Junior High School and his daughter, Kimberly, teaches third grade at West Salem Elementary School.
Rohrbaugh said he decided that it was time for him to retire when he noticed that some old concepts were being revived in education and called by new names.
"We used to have block scheduling [longer classes] and inclusion [of special-education children in regular classes], but we didn't call it that," he said.
"Everything old is new again," he said. "When it comes around again, it is time to go."
Rohrbaugh won't leave education completely. He will return to work 24 days a year under the county's early retirement program. He will do some volunteer work, too, helping students with their remedial work.
And he hopes to spend more time on his yard and roses, a longtime hobby. "I won't have any trouble staying busy," he said.
CALVIN ROHRBAUGH
Roanoke County educator
Age: 60
Hometown: Salem
Education: Roanoke College, bachelor's degree in business administration; Radford University, master's degree in school administration.
Professional: Supervisor of early intervention and remediation for Roanoke County; instructional coordinator; Mason's Cove Elementary principal; Bent Mountain Elementary principal; teacher at several elementary schools.
Community: Member of College Lutheran Church.
Family: Married, wife, Nancy; daughters, Kimberly and Taryn.
Quote: "Most children will do good if they believe in themselves. That is where good teachers come in - helping the children to believe they can do it."
Keywords:
PROFILE
by CNB